xiv 



Fourth Annual Report of the 



It will be further seen by this Eeport that the number of persons 

 in Scotland who were employed in connection with the sea fisheries 

 last year, and who, with their families, were more or less de- 

 pendent upon them, was 102,134 ; that the number of fishing boats 

 and vessels engaged was 15,532 ; and that the estimated 

 amount of capital invested in boats and vessels, nets, and lines, 

 was £1,828,446. 



SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS. 



J^arine^sta- In the Eeport for 1884, it was mentioned that the Board's Marine 

 Board ^ Laboratory at St Andrews had been completed and provided with 

 many of the necessary appliances for studying the life-history of fishes 

 and other marine forms. It was also mentioned that a temporary 

 laboratory had been erected at Tarbert, in Loch Fyne, chiefly to 

 admit of inquiries being made as to the rate of growth, migration 

 and food of the Loch Fyne herring, and further that several tanks in 

 the Eothesay aquarium had for some months been at the service 

 of the scientific committee. During the summer and autumn the 

 Tarbert and St Andrews Laboratories were utilised for various 

 investigations, to be afterwards referred to, and during the winter 

 the material collected was as far as possible worked up in the 

 Natural History Department of the University of Edinburgh. 

 Throughout the year the scientific committee of the Board has had 

 the assistance of Mr Brook in organising and carrying on the investi- 

 gations, and valuable assistance has also been rendered by Professor 

 Stirling and Mr Duncan Matthews of Aberdeen, Professor M'Intosh 

 of St Andrews, Professor Greenfield and Dr Gibson of the University 

 of Edinburgh, the Eev. A. M. Norman, D.C.L. of Durham, and Mr 

 Halliburton of University College, London. 

 Want of Although the Board had two laboratories sufficiently equipped 



suitable Boats. admit of Several important inquiries being initiated, and the 

 assistance and co-operation of the scientific men above mentioned, 

 it was unfortunately unable to carry on the work in a satisfactory 

 manner for want of suitable boats. The ' Jackal,' as pointed out 

 in previous Eeports, is not adapted for assisting in scientific work, 

 and her tender * Daisy ' is, for want of steam power, practically 

 useless. Throughout the year the limited amount of dredging 

 and field work accomplished was rendered possible by boat/S 

 provided by Professor Ewart. It is to be hoped that when the 

 ' Jackal ' is succeeded by the ' Woodcock,' arrangements will be 

 made by the Admiralty that will admit of the superintending 

 vessel undertaking a complete survey of the spawning banks, and 

 assisting in work of a like nature when required. In America the 

 * Albatross ' is under the command of an experienced officer, 

 who superintends all the physical observations made, and 

 furthers in every way in his power the biological work of 

 the Fish Commission. As long as the Board have the use of 

 a gunboat, maintained at great public expense, it will not be 

 justified in asking for large sums of money to provide vessels 

 for assisting in so thoroughly national work as examining the 

 fishing banks along the western shores, and in facilitating other 



Number of 

 persons 

 employed in 

 Fisheries. 



Number of 

 Boats and 

 Capital 

 invested. 



